Legacy mobile switching vendors will lose some ground but remain vibrant as mobile carriers continue to utilize legacy switching gear as well as IMS and IP-based apparatus, according to a new report from Visant Strategies.

"Carriers are aggressively changing out parts of the core network in order to meet their users needs and their own economic goals. It has been a varied approach but strong in every sense, so everyone wins," said Larry Swasey of Visant Strategies.

Continued deployment of CDMA EV-DO, WCDMA/HSDPA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE base stations will lead to an ever increasing market for all mobile network components, the study finds.

"New switching technologies can help offset lower voice tariffs, high network investment and increasing operating costs while also allowing for the triple play and an easier integration of fixed and mobile networks," Swasey said. "But, that said, GSM/GPRS/EDGE growth in emerging economies and conservative technology management in mature cellular markets will maintain investment in legacy switching."

According to "Mobile Core Network Timeline 2007," annual global softswitch sales will reach over $6 billion in 2011 while revenues for IP-based and IMS-based gear will be nearly the same that year. Deployments of GSM MSCs will exceed 15,000 in 2011 up from just over 14,000 in 2006 while investment in legacy switches and controllers is expected to top $29 billion in 2011, though it is forecast to peak in 2009.

The study details switching within mobile networks, the changes within the network and reasons for change. Traditional legacy switching in GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA/HSDPA, and CDMA/EV-DO networks as well as base station deployments for each is detailed as is IP switching, IMS, and softswitch technologies used for each air-interface.

Figures given include annual global and regional deployments and revenues for base stations and individual components of the base station network architecture, such as the MSC, BSC and RNC, by air-interface through 2011. Deployments and revenues for soft switches IP-based and IMS-based gear is given under the same parameters.